Michael Carrick is extracting the very best from this Manchester United squad, including players who have faced relentless criticism.
Champions League qualification is very much in sight for Manchester United following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League.
It means Michael Carrick has won four successive games since being appointed as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
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Under Carrick and his backroom staff, there have been improvements in almost every area of the pitch. Senne Lammens earned a well-deserved clean sheet against Spurs, United continued to look lethal in the final third and the Red Devils are also learning to control matches through possession.
In his first four games, Carrick has made very few changes to his starting line-up, and he is showing a lot of faith in Diogo Dalot. So far, that faith has been repaid.
Diogo Dalot throw in against Fulham
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Diogo Dalot is silencing his critics at Man United
Having joined United back in 2018, Dalot is one of the club’s longest-serving players, and he has been a regular starter under almost every manager in the last eight years.
But Dalot has been heavily criticised by United fans for his performances over the years. There have been some unforgivable displays, but overall he is reliable and offers stability to the side.
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Now under Carrick, he is also adding quality to his game, both defensively and in the final third.
Against Tottenham, Dalot completed 100% of his dribbles, made six defensive contributions and provided an assist for Bruno Fernandes.
Rio Ferdinand praised Dalot’s improvement under Carrick, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Diogo Dalot is benefiting from Michael Carrick change
Ruben Amorim was a huge admirer of Dalot, and he was even included in his six-man leadership group.
But in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, Dalot was pushed to a wing-back role, often playing on his weaker left side.
Under Carrick, Dalot has returned to his natural right-back position and the results have been immediate.
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Dalot may never be a world-class right-back, but he has the profile of a player that Sir Alex Ferguson would have loved. Hard-working, reliable and always approaching matches with the right attitude.
It is clear that he is a well-liked member of the dressing room, and even the dressing room DJ, and his performances on the pitch are going under the radar. It’s time the narrative around the 26-year-old started to shift.
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